Luggage holder



July 9, 1929. M. N. FRELING 1.720.073

LUGGAGE HOLDER Filed April 25, 1928 IN VENT OR 1X Frail)? W/PF ATTORNEYPatented July 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES MARION N. FEELING, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

LUGGAGE HOLDER.

Application filed April 25, 1928. Serial No. 272,730.

My invention relates to luggage holders and more particularly to adevice for securing a trunk or other receptacle to the running board olan automobile.

It is purpose of my invention to provide a device for holding a trunk orother receptacle on the running board of an automobile in such a mannerthat the same will be held rigidly in position and will not rattle orvibrate on the running board while the vehicle is in motion.

It is a. further purpose of my invention to provide a device for holdinga trunk or other receptacle on a running board, that is easily attachedto the running board without the use of any special tools am. whichcomprises means 'l'or detachably connecting the trunk or otherreceptacle to the holding means. The major portion of the holding meansmay be lei't on the vehicle running board and the trunk or otherrecepelacle may be readily removed therefrom and taken into a hotel orother stopping place without delay and without the necessity of usingany tools for removing the same from the vehicle.

fly improved holding means comprises means engaging the running board orother support, which comprises a resilient memher, a member cooperatingtherewith and means on the receptacle engaging one of the members totension the resilient member. Preterably a pair of resilient members anda pair of cooperating members are provided, these being secured togetherto maintain the proper spaced relation between the same. lVhile in thepreferred form a plate is shown cooperating with a resilient member withwhich the means on the receptacle engages, obviously other similararrangements could be used as all that is necessary is that a member beprovided that the trunk or other receptacle engages and another memberbe provided, that means on the receptacle engages to tension one ofsaid. members that is resilient.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, my improved holderfor trunks or other receptacle comprises a pair of clamping membersspaced lengthwise of the running board, said clamping members comprisingresilient portions and bearing plates that are made of resilientmaterial and which are mounted in spaced relation to the said resilientportions of the clamping means.

The means on the receptacle engaging with.

the holding means on the running board preferably comprises a pair ofmembers having laterally extending flanges adapted to engage under theresilient portions that overlie the bearing plates. One of saidfiangedmembers is preferably secured permanently to the trunk or otherreceptacle while the other thereof is engaged with the trunk or otherreceptacle by a take-up device which may be of any desired character.

My invention further comprises, in the preferred form, clamping meansfor securing the luggage holder to the running board, said clan'ipingmeans comprising brackets of spring metal, whereby said clamping meansengage the running board with a spring tension and will not work loose.

Other objects and advantages of my in vention will appear as thedescription of the drawing proceeds. I desire to have it understood,however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the details ofstructure shown or described but that I intend to include as part of myinvention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as wouldoccur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scopeof the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an atomobileshowing my improved luggage holder applied thereto and showing a trunksecured in position on the running board thereby.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of arunning, board showing myimproved luggage holder secured thereto, the receptacle being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation partly broken away, showing theposition of the trunk or other receptacle when engaged with one of thefastening devices and prior to engagement with the other thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken at right angles toFig. 3, showing the resilient member in the position it assumes when thetrunk is in its final position on the running board and Fig. 5 is atransverse fragmentary section through the running board showing myimproved luggage holder in end elevation.

Referring in detail to the drawings my improved luggage holder is shownas being applied to an automobile 10 having a. running board 11. \Vhilea. metallic running board is shown that has the downwardly extendingflange 12 thereon, obviously the runningboard may be of any material andof any cross sectional sh ape. My improved luggage holder comprises apair of Ush'aped brackets, preterably made of spring metal, each havingthe lower substantially horizontally extending leg portion 13 and theupper substantially horizontally extending leg portion 14 connected bymeans of the curved. portion 15. The lower leg portion 13 0'1? eachbracket member may be shorter than the upper leg portion 1-1: thereof,it desired. The upper leg portions 1 1 are preferably connected by meansof the longitudinally extending spacing bars 16 and bearing plates 17 ofspring metal are preferably provided on the oppo site sides of the bars16 from the legs 14- of the bra cket-s, said brackets, bars and platesbeing secured together by any suitable means, as by means of the rivets18.

It rill be noted that the plates 17 are slightly overlapped by the legs11- ot the brackets and that said bracket portions 1st are spacednormally a predetermined distance. equal to the thickness of the bars16, from the plates 17 between the securing means 18. The lower legs 13of the brackets are provided with screwthreaded openings that receivethe threaded portions 19 of the clamping screws 20 having the laterallyextending handles or operating port-ions 21 thereon[ Said clampingscrews 20 are preferably provided with heads 22 swivelly mounted onsaid. clamping screws and engaging with the under side of the runningboard when said clamping screws are tightenedup to firmly clamp thedevice in position on the running board.

It will be noted that the device is readily applied to the running boardby sliding the same onto the running board in a direction.

crosswise of the same. After the device has been moved into its desiredposition the clamping screw 20 is tightened up and will remain in anadjusted position due to the resiliency of the leg 13 of the bracketwhich will hold the clamping screw .in adjusted position, in a similarmanner to a nut lock. Due to the resiliency of the brackets the samewill grip the running board with a spring tension, preventing the samefrom working loose.

The bracket members are spaced apart the proper distance so that thereceptacle 23 that p is tobe mounted on the running board will fitbetween the'legs 14 of said brackets. Means is provided on thereceptacle 23, which is shown in the drawings as being a. wardrobetrunk, for. engagement with the legs 1e. of the bracket-s to hold thereceptacle 23 in position.

Said means on the receptacle comprises a plate 24 having a laterallyextending flange 25 which is permanently secured in position on thereceptacle 23 by means of rivets or other suitable fastening elements26. The flange 25 extends substantially in alignment with the bottomface 27 of the receptacle.

Said receptacle is further provided with a keeper member 28, secured infixed position on the opposite side face of the receptacle to thatcarrying the plate 24. A take-up device 29 having a link 30 adapted toengage with the keeper 28 is provided on a plate 31 which is similar tothe plate 2% and is provided with a laterally extending flange 32. Saidtake-up device comprises a hasp-like men'iher 33 which is adapted toreceive the eye 34: provided on the plate 31 to hold the parts inclaniping position. Ohviously a padlock or other locking means may bepassed through the eye 34.

The receptacle is provided with the usual knobs or projections 35thereon which ordinarily serve the purpose of preventing damage to thewalls of the trunk or receptacle 23 in handling. The height of the knobsor projections 35 is such, relative to the spacing of the legs 141 ofthe brackets from the plates 17, that it is necessary to tilt thereceptacle 23, as shown in 3, to engage the flange 25 on the plate 24under the leg 14 of the bracket. lVhen this is done the weight of thetrunk or other receptacle 23 will put the resilient member 14 under aslight tension or distortion and slightly flex the plate 1'? adjacentthe member 14. In order to move the receptacle 23 to a position such asthat shown in Fig. 1, with the bottom 27 thereof substantially parallelto the running board 11, it is necessary to push downwardly on thereceptacle 23 against the tension of leg portions 14.. The plate 17being in engagement with the running board 11 will be held rigid wherethe knobs 35 engage therewith. The knobs 35 adjacent the plate 2% willact as tulcrums about which the receptacle 23 will pivot and the flange25 on the plate 2st will cause the leg ll ot the bracket to flex,distorting the same both crosswise and lengthwise, the transversedistortion being shown in Fig. 1 and the distortion lengthwise beingshown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the plate 17 being flexed upwardlyadjacent said legs let to permit distortion of said legs 14. The springformed by the leg 14 will thus be placed under considerable tension evenwhen the link 30 is engaged first with the keeper 28. ()peration of thetakeup device 29 will place a further tension thereon and will alsotension the leg 14 ot the other bracket that is engaged by the flange 32on the plate 31 before the receptacle 23 is moved from the positionshown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 1. The tension under which thelegs 14 ot' the brackets are placed will firmly hold the receptacleagainst the plates 17 and thus on the running board 11, thus preventingall vibration of the trunk or other receptacle on the running board.

In order to prevent removal of the luggage holder from the running boardwhen the receptacle 23 is in position thereon the bolt 36 may beinserted through the opening provided therefor in the one bar 16 priorto placing the trunk or other receptacle 23 in position, said bolt beingprovided with a washer 37 and a nut 38 for securing the same to therunning board, a suitable hole being drilled in the running board forreceiving said bolt. It will. be seen that when the trunk or otherreceptacle 33 is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the bolt 36 cannot beremoved even it the nut 38 is taken ofi the bolt. It will also be notedthat with the bolt in position the bra :kets cannot be removed from therunning board even if the clamping screws 20 are released. from therunning board. By engaging suitable padlock with the eye 34 thereceptacle can thus be loci-zed against removal from the running board.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure byUnited States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, comprising aresilient member, a member cooperating therewith, means :t'or securingsaid members together, said receptacle engaging one of said members andmeans on said receptacle engaging the other of said members to tensionsaid resilient member.

2. The combination. with a receptacle and a support, of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support,

7 comprising pairs o't members, each pair comprising a resilient memberand a cooperating member secured together, said receptacle engaging onemember of each pair and means on said receptacle engaging the othermember. ot each pair to distort said resilient members.

3. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, comprisingpairs of members, each pair comprising a resilient member and acooperating member secured together, said receptacle engaging one memberof each pair and means on said receptacle engaging the other mem ber ofeach pair to distort said resilient members, comprising a member offixed length engaging one of said last mentioned members and a memberincluding a take-up device engaging the other of said last members.

4. A device of the character described, comprising paired members andmeans for securing said paired members together at spaced points, onemember of each pair being a resilient bearing plate and the other memberof each pair having a portion spaced from said plate between the pointsat which said members are secured together.

5. The con'ibination with a receptacle and a support, of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, comprisingplate-like members engaged by said receptacle at spaced points, memberssecured to said plate-like members at spaced points and spaced from saidplate-like members between the points of securement thereof and means onsaid receptacle extending into the space between said memoers andengaging said last mentioned members, said members comprising resilientmeans, one of said. means on the receptacle including take-up means torholding said resilient means under tension.

6. The combination with a receptacle and a support. of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, comprising aresilient incn'iber, a member cooperating therewith, means for securingsaid members together, said receptacle having pro jections thereonengaging one of said members and laterally extending means on saidreceptacle engaging the other of said members to tension said resilientmember.

'7. The combination with a receptacle and a support, ot means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, comprisingpairs of. memliers, each pair comprising a resilient member and acooper: ting member secured together, said. receptacle havingprojections thereon engaging one of said members of each pair andlaterally exten ding means on slid receptacle engaging the other memberof each pair to distort said resilient members,

8. The combination with a receptacle and a. support, of means engagingsaid support for securing said receptacle on said support, said meanscomprising pi airs 0t members, one member of each pair being resilient.each pa i r of members comprising a bearing member and a member having aportion thereof spaced therefrom, said receptacle having projectionsthereon engaging said bearing members and laterally extending means onsaid receptacle engaging the spaced portions of said other members, thespacing of said members being such. relative to the height of saidprojections as to tension said resilient means when said laterallyextending means engage the spaced. portions of the members and saidprojections engage said bearing members.

9. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of combined bearingand holding means for said receptacle mounted onsaid support, said meanscomprising bearing portions and holding portions, one portion of each ofsaid means being resilient, said hearing and holding portions being sorelated that said resilient portions are placed under tension as saidreceptacle is moved into a position of substantial parallelism to saidsupport.

10. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of combined bearingand holding means for said receptacle mounted on said support, saidmeans comprising bearing portlons and holding portions, one portion ofeach of said means being resilient, said bearing and holding portionsbeing so related that said resilient portions are placed under tensionas said receptacle is moved into a position of substantial parallelismto said support, and said receptacle being provided with holding membersengaging said holding portions, one of said holding members beingprovided with a take-up device.

11. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of a receptacleholding member, comprising spaced clamping members, means connectingsaid members, bearing plates on said holifling member, saidclampingmembers having resilient portions overlying and spaced from saidbearing plates, said receptacle engaging said bearing plates and flangedmembers on said receptacle engaging under the portions of said clampingmembers overlying and spaced from the bearing plates to distort saidportions of said clamping members.

12. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of a receptacleholding member, con'lprising spaced cl annging men'ibers, meansconnecting said members, bearing plates on said holding members, saidclamping members comprising resilient brackets having portions overlyingand spaced from said bearing plates, said receptacle engaging saidbearing plates and members on said receptacle having laterally extendingflanges engaging under the portions of said brackets spaced. from saidbearing plates to distort said portions of said brackets.

13. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of a receptacleholding member, comprising spaced clamping members, means connectingsaid members, bearing plates on said holding member, said clampingmembers having portions overlying and spaced from said bea ing plates,and including resilient means, said receptacle having projectionsengaging said bearing plates and flanged members on said receptacleengaging under the portions of said clamping members overlying andspaced from thebearing plates to tension said resilient means when saidprojections are engaged with said bearing plates.

14-. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of a receptacleholding member, comprising spaced clamping members, means connectingsaid members, said clam 'iing members comprising resilient bracketshaving portions overlying and spaced from said bearing plates, saidreceptacle engaging said bearing plates and members on said receptaclehaving laterally extending flanges engaging under the portionsof saidbrackets, one of said last mentioned members being provided with atake-up device.

15. A device of the character described, comprising a pair of resilientbracket members, clamping screws carried thereby, bars connecting saidmembers and bearing plates mounted on said bars, saidbracket membershaving portions overlying but spaced from said bearing plates.

16. The combination with a receptacle and a support, of receptacleholding means, comprising resilient bearing plates, members secured tosaid plates and having portions spaced from said bearing plates, saidreceptacle engaging said bearing plates and members on said receptaclehaving portions engaging under the portions of said first members spacedfrom said plates to flex said plates.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day ofApril, 1928.

' MARION N. FEELING.

